Across the last few years my work has been displayed at museums in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. Two large works along with my life story and other personal items have been on permanent display at the National Museum’s Australian Journeys exhibition since the exhibit opened in 2009. One of the works, Wish you were here was specially commissioned by the National Museum for the exhibition and it hangs alongside another artwork made of wood, Tales of the Souk. Two of my Moroccan birdhouses also feature in the display.

The NMA describes the gallery as “looking at the social, political and economic impacts of journeys beginning in the period before European settlement in Australia and continuing through to the 21st century.” I often revisit the exhibition to give talks to groups touring the Journeys gallery and the museum.

Fatima with Amira and Yasmine at the launch of the Australian Journeys gallery at the NMA in 2009

The Conflicts 1945 to today exhibition opened at the Australian War Memorial in 2008. The large exhibition covers one wing on the lower level of the War memorial building. My collograph Besieged is one of four colour collographs about the Iraq war acquired by the AWM. The print is displayed with artworks of other international war artists.

This major permanent exhibition covers the Gulf Wars, the war in Afghanistan, the Korean and Vietnam wars, the Malayan emergency and the Indonesian confrontation as well as peacekeeping operations. The gallery includes a full size Iroquois helicopter, the massive ship’s bridge of the HMAS Brisbane and an animated diorama of a battle scene in the Vietnam War.

Fatima filming in front of the “Besieged” artwork on display at the Australian War Memorial

The Islamic Museum of Australia in Melbourne opened in early 2014. I have exhibited at the museum both individually and with the Australian Muslim Artists. My artwork titled Looted examines the illicit resale of antiquities stolen from Iraqi museums to international collectors and other major museums.

The galleries of the Islamic Museum explore one thousand years of Islam in civilisation and the Muslim contribution to Australia since settlement in 1788. Last month I joined with other speakers and spoke about my work at the Islamic Arts Symposium held over several days at the IMA.

Looted 2005 – on display at the Islamic Museum of Australia, Melbourne.